Review of CRU Steakhouse (Manila Marriott Hotel, Newport City)

I took a vacation leave from work last Wednesday to join the Zomato foodies for dinner at CRU Steakhouse, and surely I had no regrets. At CRU (pronounced as “kroo” and “not C-R-U”), steaks cooked to perfection are a given! This high-end restaurant inside Manila Marriott Hotel doles out generous portions of amazing grilled steak matched with an imaginative fare elevated by an extensive wine list. By the end of our meal, we could only utter one word to describe their menu: phenomenal. CRU Steakhouse presents everything you would expect in a quality steakhouse. 🙂

Review of CRU Steakhouse (Manila Marriott Hotel, Newport City)

Ambiance: ★★★★★

Elegant and polished, CRU Steakhouse certainly is a good refuge after a busy day of noise and networking. Upon entrance, I felt the warm embrace of a traditional steakhouse ambiance consisting of dark wall panels, wooden flooring, and dim lighting along with plenty of wine bottles displayed across the dining area. To keep the consistently prime vibe, CRU Steakhouse is open only during dinnertime daily.

Orange light fixtures echo off the adorned designs effortlessly, while chairs dressed in red polka dots and line patterns complement the pristine white tablecloths. Central to the dining area is an open kitchen which gives a sense of contemporary dining with a twist. Adorning the space in tasteful fashion, the front part houses the bar that’s set up well to draw in any type of crowd.

For private events such as the Zomato Foodie Meetup we attended, CRU has two function rooms that seat eight to ten people. Note: Reservation of the function rooms should be made a week ahead.

Service: ★★★★★

Customer service was first class. Treating everyone as VIPs, the servers were kind and professional to explain about the food and demonstrate a short cooking presentation before serving some of the entrees. They also made regular rounds to make sure that our glasses were filled with drinks and that guests felt welcome and appreciated. The smooth and attentive team definitely added perks.

Food: ★★★★★

Salads

Think oranges are just for breakfast, snacks, or desserts? Think again. The orange made such delightful addition to the Organic Baby Spinach Salad (PhP 550), thrown together with blue cheese crumble, walnut in Parmesan crisp, and mustard dressing. Fruity notes to the well-dressed leaves of baby spinach made the salad taste outlandishly better.

Tossed with red onions, balsamic, crushed olives, and feta cheese, the giant organic cherry tomatoes locally grown from the Marriott Organic Farm served in the Organic Tomato Salad (PhP 580) were super juicy and fresh. This salad was sweet, tangy, and full of character, with the natural flavor of tomatoes combined with cheese oozing with a savory sensation. It’s a must-order for those who are in a diet. 😛

Appetizers

Voted as the best appetizer we had for the night, the Sauteed Duck Liver (PhP 920) with apple chutney and sweet maple lemon glaze was very satisfying. Admittedly, the number of times I’ve tasted foie gras is probably less than five. But by far, CRU’s take on the foie gras is the best. It melts on the tongue like the creamiest butter but with a distinct cured sweetness.

The Certified Angus Beef Carpaccio (PhP 750) reminded me of yukhwe, which is raw beef eaten with raw egg in Korea. Wandering more into a fancy territory, this appetizer was an absolute home run, and it turned out to be love at first bite. The paper-thin slices of beef were topped with parmesan, arugula, and tarragon dressing. So good!

Next, we were treated to seafood galore. The Seared US Scallops (PhP 730) were plump, briny, and buttery but still supple, with a very slight sweetness. Spicy shimeji mushrooms, pickled onions, and Hollondaise sauce all contributed to the robust flavors that stood up to the zesty sauce.

The Tuna Tartare (PhP 650) looked so tiny and simple, but this dish should not be underestimated. Every element was on full display (not sure if that’s egg yolk on top but it tasted like egg yolk), and the complete bite, with the soft wash of the wasabi aioli, was so much more than the sum of its already excellent parts.

The Salmon Tartar (PhP650) was another knockout. It was pure decadence: perfectly cooked chunks of ultra fresh raw salmon with lemon mustard dressing and extra virgin coconut oil. Close your eyes and bite into this and you could imagine you’re tasting the best salmon you’ve ever had.

Crispy and crabby, the CRU Crab Cakes (PhP 690) with the celeriac apple slaw and creamy Cajun remoulade were quite dainty, gone in three or four delicate bites at most—but they were three or four perfect bites, I can assure. I’m also glad that these crab cakes were not too heavily coated in breadcrumbs but packed more with crab meat than pasty binders. Taste was stellar.

Too appealing to slip by, the Chilled Ocean Shrimps (PhP680) looked like a starfish or spider from afar. Its presentation was so captivating with summer colors lifting our mood and appetite. Dipped in the cocktail sauce and eaten with jalapeno salsa, the shrimps tasted nice and fresh, titillating our taste buds for the final appetizer.

We were served with three kinds of soup. The Shrimp Gumbo (PhP 370) consisted of a mildly spicy broth that’s a far cry from the one-dimensional broth made from instant meal packages available in the grocery store. The soup had a rich body and a faint aroma of the sea. At the bottom of the bowl, we found bits of fragrant rice and minced vegetables popping out as a nice surprise.

The Caramelized OnionSoup (PhP 350) sang a chorus of layered onion flavors topped with a blanket of gooey cheese. Yum! We enjoyed the variation in tastes and textures.

The Wild MushroomSoup (PhP 390) was super creamy, rich, velvety, smooth, and with the aroma of truffle oil, intoxicatingly delicious. OMG. I loved the soup so much and I think I won’t ever get tired of it. 😛

Mains

The long wait was finally over and well worth it. The spectacle of parading the three sizzling slabs of pound CRU’s US Certified Angus Beef Bone-in Rib Eye (PhP 5,400 for 900 grams/31.75 ounces) through the function room invariably led everyone wanting one. Well-browned and crackling with some fat, CRU Steakhouse’s signature steak was sliced open and revealed a juicy pink center that extended from edge to edge. Each slab had a commendable crust and a succulent interior.

Each 900-gram steak comes with two sauces, five sides of your choice, and carved table side. Choose to pair it with black peppercorn, forest mushroom, spicy tomato and onion, CRU blue cheese, Shiraz, or Béarnaise sauce, and you have one unforgettable dish. I’m not a fan of sauces for the steak, but I tried them anyway. What I wasn’t able to resist were the sides that have a good fit with the food.

Above all, truffle mac and cheese, grilled portobello mushrooms, creamed spinach, and black truffle risotto for me struck as the best complements to the steak and almost worthy of as much discussion as the steak itself. 🙂

Desserts

The Banana Foster (PhP 410) took a few minutes to get prepared. The waiter ignited caramelized bananas, raw sugar, flamed rum, whole butter, and sliced almonds at the tableside and then poured over vanilla ice cream for our enjoyment. It was like a one-plate dinner theater that’s undeniably fun and interesting to watch. The first bites of the banana foster were luxurious, as crisp flakes of almonds and swimming banana in ice cream completed the equation.

If you have a sweet tooth, you can’t miss the Sweet and SaltyChocolate Moist Cake (PhP 400) with homemade dark chocolate ice cream. It had a moist and buttery crumb that packed a toasty, nutty punch. This chocolate cake isn’t particularly novel, but it’s not disappointing in any way.

Basically an ice cream cake of chocolate and cognac, the Grand CRU ChocolatePraline Mousse (PhP 400) is one of those desserts that create a great textural experience, as the mousse melts away while the praline provide crispiness. Make sure to snag the layers in one forkful! 🙂

CRU Steakhouse’s bar serves wine by the glass and by the bottle. Selections range from champagne, sparkling wines, red wines, and white wines. Other beverages offered are local and imported beers, whiskey, rum, tequila, etc. We had Beringer’s 2010 Cabernet Sauvignon (Knights Valley) that featured aromas of black plum, cherry, and enticing spice notes.

Price for Value: ★★★☆☆

For the price point, you don’t need to sell your car to eat here. However, you might have to break your bank account a bit to recover for a return visit. 😛 Ambiance, service, and the quality and taste of food were unquestionably impeccable, but prepare to pay “special-splurge” prices for the privilege. It will be good to reserve dining at CRU Steakhouse in Marriott Hotel Manila (Resorts World) for special occasions such as birthdays, wedding anniversaries, graduation, promotion, or sealing a good business deal.

This place looks absolutely amazing! That sculpture behind the front desk is so gorgeous, and the food!! I will say you are a little more adventurous with food than I. I stay away from tartars but I could definitely find my way around the other delights. Thank you for a beautiful review, now I want to visit!

wow.thats seems to be a great place to go and yes i would love to go as soon as possible. i love all the pictures you took to show us all the stuff in details. i love the foos shown in pictures.great post

Yup! I can’t believe that one order of the steak (one slab) is good for two people. The size of the steak may be intimidating, but the taste just brings out the beast in you in trying to tackle it. Every bite was as tasty and juicy as the first. 🙂

One point in my life I used to devour red meat like nobodies business, but a number of years ago I gave it up and I cannot eat it at all. I DO miss it, but it just tastes really gross to me. Probably because I used to eat it really rare and now it just sickens me to think I used to do that lol 🙁

I love the ambiance in the restaurant, the bookshelves of wine bottles in the back is my fav.

Got your point! 🙂 I’m also not a huge fan of meat and steaks in particular. But in times when I’m invited to taste such in food events, I just try to get myself prepared to be induced in a food coma–in a good way. 😛 The steak we had was medium well so it was okay and nothing too gross for me.

Haha. As I always suggest, treating yourself to a fancy restaurant like CRU is a good reward system. 😛 I cannot rave enough about the quality of the steaks and classic accompaniments here. Everything was cooked perfectly and seasoned with a balance that lets its partnering wine sing.

The place looks grand but then again this is in a hotel haha… You had me at steak, I love steaks, it’s just that they are really expensive so I don’t get to eat them that much. I think my eyes just watered when I saw the picture of that angus beef steak. Sobrang nakakainggit naman!

Haha yeah sulit ang vacation leave ko for that day! 🙂 At CRU, steak is integral to the experience as the restuarant itself. 🙂 The appetizers were seriously heavy so I needed to play my carbs right. As good as the food is, you must also save room for desserts.

Yes, it almost seemed that the appetizers were endless. Haha. We were waiting for the steak and it was worth the time. When you’re craving a juicy steak, give this spot a whirl – you won’t be disappointed!

I am also agreeing with you, the photos you took are phenomenal! I can’t pick a favorite because I’d love to taste each and every item you’ve featured. Have to save lots of money to be able to dine there!

I really like the atmosphere of this restaurant; it looks like it would make a nice place to go for date night. Nearly everything that you pictured above the steak and sides photos is a little bit too adventurous for my taste buds. However, the presentation looks amazing.

Okay so, you might already know (from previous comments) that i’m a total carnivore, and i knew i was going to get hungry reading this post judging from the title alone! I just didn’t expect to feel THIS hungry! Everything look so so good! The presentation’s definitely wonderful so i even found the appetizers (i am not much of an appetizer kind of person, they don’t really interest me) makes my mouth water!

Haha yes, you have to start with appetizers, the main course, and then don’t forget desserts. It’s nice to dine in a restaurant whose atmosphere is definitely very royal. What’s worth mentioning of course is that they have a farm for growing all their vegetables organically and locally!

Food and Lifestyle Blogger in Manila

Roch Santos-Sioco is behind the blog Rochkirstin | com. Based in Manila, Philippines, she's a digital marketing strategist by day (and sometimes by night, let's get real) and a blogger with a large appetite for food & travel. She always aims to create content that's meaningful and enjoyable, whether it's a full-length blog post or a 140-character tweet.

When not blogging or eating, you can find her thinking about innovative technologies, planning out where to eat or travel next, or looking up on trends about health, pets, and wine. :)

Get in touch with her through rochkirstin@yahoo.com or view the About page to know more.